Surf Shanty opening Dewey location

Staying true to the name, The Surf Shanty is opening a second location – this time in an old produce stand in Dewey Beach.

“It’s awesome to have a presence in Dewey. It’s going to be a fun spot to work,” said Cindy Ruggerio, who owns the Surf Shanty with her husband Rhett and two other couples. “We’re happy to rehab the building.”

The original Surf Shanty, 820 Kings Highway, Lewes, is in an old beach house that had been a hair salon before being renovated three years ago. “We like the idea of making use of something that’s already a part of the community,” said Ruggerio on why the couple have chosen another low-key spot for their business.

The second Surf Shanty faces northbound Route 1, and is located between Read and Rodney avenues. There isn’t a tremendous amount of work needed to make this ready, said Ruggerio, who then listed off cleaning things out, painting, and adding some shelving and cabinets.

“We’re moving fast to get this up and running,” she said.

Ruggerio said elements of the produce stand will be incorporated into the Dewey location’s style. Left behind from produce vendors are two large wooden watermelon crates and metal chicken fencing on some of the interior walls. That will be great to hang clothes and other items from, said Ruggerio of the fencing.

This will be the third season for the Surf Shanty in Lewes, and, said Ruggerio, the Dewey location will carry a lot of the same merchandise. There will be scooters, beach umbrellas and chairs for rent, she said.

There will also be merchandise to buy. Ruggerio said there will be a lot of handmade stuff from Haiti, Costa Rica and other islands, along with items offering sun protection for those long days on the beach.

“And of course there will be locally themed merchandise,” she said. “Everybody wants a hat that says Dewey Beach on it.”

The Lewes location offers paddleboarding lessons, rentals and beach parties through a relationship with Lewes-based Quest Kayak. Both Surf Shanty locations will be offering skimboard lessons through a partnership with RELYance Skim Camp, which is taught by professional skimboarders Dave and Tom Bracht.

Adding to the Dewey theme, Ruggerio said Dewey Beach artist Leah Beach was commissioned to put her artist touch on the building, which is already garnering attention – during the interview, a passerby said she really liked the artwork.

Ruggerio said the plan is to have the Dewey location open by Thursday, June 15. All the schools will be out by then and Dewey will be happening, she said.

Ruggerio said the Dewey location will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. The Lewes location is open right now with limited hours – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday. Beginning next weekend, the Lewes location will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. For more information on both locations, call 302-260-1983 or go to lewessurfshanty.com.

Editor’s note: The artwork for Surf Shanty’s Dewey location was a team effort by the Dewey Artist Collaboration. The other artists involved were Amanda Pace, Michael Johnson and Laura Erickson.